Receiver Start of Packet Detection Threshold (RX-SOP) is a setting for a Wi-Fi access point (AP) that represents a minimum signal level, typically measured in dBm (decibel per milliwatts), for which the AP will demodulate and decode a packet. The AP will ignore weaker signals that do not meet the value set for RX-SOP. Accordingly, higher RX-SOP settings will effectively reduce the coverage area of the receiver cell served by the AP, thereby reducing the number of client devices connecting with weaker connections to the AP. A higher RX-SOP setting also typically results in higher data rates for client devices that do connect to the AP, as there is less competition for the AP's bandwidth and there are also presumably fewer dropped packets due to the stronger signal. Higher RX-SOP settings work well in high density environments such as stadiums and large auditoriums where there are a large number of client devices connected per AP. In a high density environment, smaller cell sizes generally provide higher quality service.